Banners found hung in several places in support of Mohd Sharkar as Mentri Besar

Causing uneasiness: Temerloh Umno division members lodging a police report on the emergence o f dubious banners calling for Mohd Sharkar to be made the new Pahang Mentri Besar.

TEMERLOH: The emergence of
banners calling for senior executive councillor Datuk Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin to be made the new Pahang Mentri Besar has caused some uneasiness on the ground.

The banners which were hung here and in several other areas
such as Jengka, Pekan, Lipis,
Raub and Bentong, had the words “Kami Mahu Dato’ Shakar (sic) MB Pahang — Umno Bahagian Temerloh” with a picture of him and the party’s logo.

A police report had been lodged by the Temerloh Umno division, urging the authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly.

The division’s leaders condemned the acts, adding that certain irresponsible quarters were behind the move to create a rift among the state leadership.

Mohd Sharkar, who is the Temerloh Umno division chief and Lanchang assemblyman, declined to comment on the issue when approached during the launching of a tourism sponsorship programme.

He joked that he would only answer questions pertaining to the programme and nothing outside of the topic, including displaying of banners, in an apparent reference to the pressing issue.

The Opposition parties, particularly PAS, had strongly denied any involvement in the matter.

In the last general election, its national youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi won the Temerloh parliamentary constituency against Barisan Nasional’s and former Umno supreme council member Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.

Meanwhile, party insiders said it was a non-issue as Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob had successfully retained the state with a two-third majority in the last elections.

They said the situation was vastly different compared to Terengganu, as former mentri besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said had won the state by just a two-seat majority.

“In Pahang, there is no agreement between Putrajaya to vacate the post after one year to pave the way for a new mentri besar.

“Besides, Adnan has good ties with the palace and Prime Minister and Pekan MP Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak,” said one insider, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Adnan, who is the Pelangai assemblyman, has been helming the state since 1999.